First off, why don't you tell us a little about yourselves?
Tim: Well let’s see...this whole big mess started when I met Silva at a talent show. From there we mapped all the parts we thought we needed to make it all sound and feel right and from there we just went looking for musicians.  Since we’ve been together, we’ve played a few nice venues, namely the Congress and the Metro, and seem to have gathered a relatively small, but loyal and very supportive, following.

Rob: Well, we are a teenage Chicago band as you probably already know. We are composed of five members: two guitars, bass, drums, and violin/mandolin. I joined the band about a month after its founding. A few weeks after I joined, Alex had Ian come play a song with us and Ian has been in ever since. He prides himself by saying that he forced his way in.

How did you come up with the name, Aesthetic Sense?
Tim: Well, its not so much that we came up with that name....per se....it's more like Maxey  somehow convinced us that the name had implications of ‘musical appreciation.’ After searching for a name for months, we just went for it. We were all a bit skeptical and just never bothered/cared enough to look it up....I guess that's on us morons.

Rob: We were originally going to be called Mellophobe, but none of us really cared for that name much. So, one day on the way to practice Ryan told us the name Aesthetic Sense, and it has stuck ever since.

Where can fans find out more information about you?
Tim: WWW.AESTHETICSENSE.TK, BABY!!! Or I guess you could just write us at aestheticsense5@yahoo.com. We’ll gladly answer any questions you may have.

Rob: There are bios of each of the members there and show information on our official site. If you would like more information about us, you can just send us an email.

How would you describe your music?
Tim: I wouldn’t...I would just encourage everyone to check it out for themselves. We don’t mean to sound cocky, but we know we’re on to something here and we love for new people to hear the music every day and tell us what they think. All I can say with certainty is that you’ve never heard anything like it.

Rob: This is the toughest question that we have been asked about the band. Ian came up with this long lineage of our style. He says that we are the illegitimate son of Radiohead and the Dave Matthews Band and Incubus's child. For anyone who does not understand this, you should listen to our songs at www.purevolume.com/aestheticsense.

If you could go on tour with any musician, who would it be and why?
Tim: Dave Matthews Band. Of everyone who’s out now, I think DMB and their fans would be the most accepting and supportive of our music. Personally it would be a dream come true to share a stage with Dave Matthews Band.

Rob: I would probably want to go on tour with either Incubus or Radiohead. This is because our music resembles theirs at least a little bit, and they are both excellent bands.    

Is any tour currently in the works? If so, could you tell us a little about that?
Tim: Naw, dude...we’re having a hard time trying to find people to play single shows with locally, let alone to tour with.   

Rob: No.

How would you describe your stage show?
Tim: It’s hot. Late last year we realized that we were lacking something when it came to live performances....like, we practice a hell of a lot and it wasn’t that the music sounded bad, but there’s more to a live performance than just how the music sounds. Not to say that music isn’t terribly important, but you’ve gotta get people involved and make them feel like they’re experiencing something, not just listening to the CD all over again. So we locked ourselves in Ian’s basement and just went nuts playing and then learned to transfer that energy and looseness to our live performance. I feel like we really broke out of our shell at the Metro show that we played in January and it's only gotten better since.

Rob: We have a lot of energy and charisma in our more recent shows. Before playing our show at the Metro, we were very reserved (at least I was) in our stage performances. We have now gotten more comfortable with the stage and use it to make our music an experience.

If you were to be compared to any other artist, who would you prefer it be and why?
Tim: Dave Matthews Band and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Both bands have amazing group dynamics, and song writing ability. The collection of musicians in both bands is amazing and the way they all complement each others styles is awe-inspiring. We hope to one day be a band that people know and appreciate for those reasons.

Rob: I would prefer being compared to Incubus, rather than Dave Matthews Band as most people do currently. Ian and I do not really care for DMB.

Have you started getting noticed when you're out with friends, yet?
Tim: Eh...a few times. I’m just the drummer, so I’m back there behind toms and crashes the whole show, but yeah, I guess I have been noticed a few places by kids from other high schools which is awesome. As a band, our name is becoming more recognized because of some of the people we played the Metro with, as well, and a lot of people have been hitting up www.purevolume.com/aestheticsense, so I think our popularity is growing a bit.

Rob: Yes. I am not getting mobbed by people, but every once and a while, someone will say, "Hey, you're the bassist for that band from Payton!"

You guys are still a pretty small band; however, you do have quite a fan base. How does that feel?
Tim: It’s amazing. It's great to know that in these days of screamo and all that there’s still a place for some guys like us. We just like playing music, we love performing, and we just happen to be lucky enough to have people who actually want to hear us.

Rob: It is comforting to know that there are people out there who will come to everyone of our shows even though they have heard all of our songs a hundred times.

You are all pretty young. Do you feel it's harder to get established as a serious band?
Tim: Yeah, sorta. I mean, there have been so many times where we’ve called places with open mics or that take music submissions only to be told that the place is 21+. We feel like we’re missing out on a huge chunk of Chicago’s population that would like our music, but we’re not old enough for them to hear it. Then again we really aren’t ones to complain, and we’ve tried to find some ways around it.

Rob: It is not necessarily harder to be taken seriously, but most places that bands in Chicago play at are 21 and older. It has been very difficult to get shows in Chicago, but every now and then one comes along.

What is one of the best parts of being in the music industry?
Tim: Not sure, we haven’t gotten there yet.

Rob: I don't really have much basis to answer this question, but from my experiences so far, the music industry is very, very difficult to be successful in. You could be the greatest band on Earth and still not get a deal because most record companies do not accept unsolicited demos. You have to know someone to get in.

Last, but not least, do you have a message to your fans?
Tim: Oh, for sure, not least! I just wanna say we appreciate all the support that we get from you guys everywhere we go. All the WPCP fans, you guys rock and we wouldn’t be anywhere without you. All my ‘crew,’ you know who you are, thanks a whole hell of a lot, I love you guys for real. And to everyone else, thank you, thank you, thank you!

Rob: I just want to say that traditional line that all bands say, "Thank you so much for all your support. If it were not for you, we would not be where we are today." It is so much easier to get on stage when you have a bunch of friendly faces to look at.